Fort Pierce gives nod to proposed 15 percent property tax increase

Fort Pierce City Commission workshops and public hearing on fiscal year 2014 budget:

Where: Fort Pierce City Hall, 100 N. U.S. 1

9 a.m. Aug. 9: City Commission workshop

6:30 p.m. Sept. 3: Public hearing on budget

6:30 p.m. Sept. 16: Public hearing on budget

5 p.m. Sept. 23: Final public hearing on budget

FORT PIERCE — Fort Pierce City Commissioners on Monday gave the nod for a 15 percent property tax increase for the 2013-14 budget year.

Commissioners did not approve raising the rate from $5.7131 to $6.6050 per $1,000 of taxable value rate. Instead, the group agreed city finance staff could send the higher rate to the St. Lucie County Property Appraiser's Office to be used in the formula for mailing the Truth In Millage (TRIM) notices to property owners.

A homeowner with a $100,000 home minus the $50,000 homestead exemption could pay $330.25 next year, which amounts to paying $44.60 more.

The higher rate means the city would collect about $1.5 million more in taxes next year than this year. The new rate is needed after the after property appraiser's office in June released figures showing Fort Pierce taxable real estate value decreased by .65 percent to $1.865 billion this year from $1.877 billion in 2012.

Commissioner Rufus Alexander said he supports the higher rate to add money to the city's coffers.

"It's three dollars and something a month," Alexander said after the workshop. "I think it will be well used. ... We need it. If not, the city could fall apart."

However, Mayor Linda Hudson said she is against a property tax increase because she doesn't want to burden taxpayers during a rebounding economy.

"It concerns me because any increase, I want to be able to justify the money," Hudson said after the workshop. "I want the taxpayers to know I did everything I could to keep from taking dollars out of their pockets."